Tusk told a maritime conference in the northwestern Polish city of Szczecin that Poland has rallied NATO Baltic states behind a permanent "Baltic Sentry" initiative to protect undersea energy links such as the Baltic Pipe gas link and a strategic gas terminal in the port of Świnoujście near the German border.
"Everything on and above the sea must be as safe as possible,” Tusk said at the 11th International Maritime Congress conference.
Poland to triple container handling by 2030: PM
Polish seaports handled 3.3 million TEUs (Twenty-Foot Equivalent Units) last year; profits rose 26 percent and customs revenues hit PLN 56 billion (USD 15 billion), according to government figures.
Tusk said his government aims to triple container handling within four years and press ahead with the construction of a deepwater shipping terminal in Świnoujście.
"In 2024, Polish ports handled 3.3 million TEUs; we aim to triple this figure within the next four years and a few months,” Tusk said, calling the plan “a very realistic forecast.”
'No one will block that terminal'
A key element of Poland’s port expansion strategy is the development of the new container terminal in Świnoujście, a Baltic Sea port near Germany.
"No one will block that terminal—you can be certain of that,” he told the gathering amid reports that a German organization describing itself as a “citizens’ initiative” has demanded the immediate suspension of the project, citing its alleged environmental impact.
The new "Polish Sea" plan announced by Tusk also revives a national shipping flag, orders new ferries and a sail-training vessel, and earmarks EU funds for shipyards and off-shore wind logistics, state news agency PAP reported.
EU ministers for maritime affairs held an informal meeting alongside the conference.
(jh/gs)
Source: IAR, PAP